Around £180m spent ... now over to Nuno

NUNO Espirito Santo was very clear about what Nottingham Forest required heading into the final days of the transfer window.

- By SARAH CLAPSON

“As long as we bring what we need before the end of the market, I think we are going to be OK,’ the Portuguese said last week. He had already identified fullback as an area in need of strengthening while also stating his wish for another goalkeeper.

John Victor duly arrived to tick off the latter point, then Cuiabano and Oleksandr Zinchenko put pen to paper on deadline day to bolster the fullback ranks.

Winger Dilane Bakwa also came through the City Ground doors in the final hours of the window to provide another option out wide.

The Reds filled the gaps Nuno had identified, and then some. The squad the Portuguese now has at his disposal is an incredibly strong one - one which should be capable of giving it a good go on multiple fronts.

“We have worked extensively all summer to ensure we have a competitive squad that has a blend of youth and experience, ready to compete in all competitions,’ chief football officer Ross Wilson said when it was all over.

Forest have a dressing room packed with quality and potential - now it’s all about how Nuno makes the most of it.

“What a day,” owner Evangelos Marinakis’ son, Miltiadis, posted on social media early on Monday alongside a picture of Sky Sports’ coverage of deadline day.